Design flaws? Torque rod, split rims?

[porkysplace]

There's no sign of forklifts considering the truck was driven 80 miles home with no hitch except when I filled the expansion tank with 1 gallon of 50/50 anitfreeze. Nice you guys gang up when someon deflates your preconcieved notions.

Did you inspect the torque rods prior to driving it home ?

 

[1 Patriot-of-many]

Don't do that. Now he's going to ask what the power pack is.



After reading this and the other thread, it is appearing that the torque rod "may" have been knocked loose by a forklift prior to the gopher hole stomping.


I say may have been, because there have been no comfirmation as to whether the OP inspected these parts at anytime between getting the truck from GL and now.

None of these trucks were lifted or posititoned. They were all driven to the lot. All except one were driven OFF the lot also with no problems.

 

[KsM715]

WOW good deal. I can only hope or not you guys don't have the same failure when your brake line is crushed at the wrong time. GEEZus. Take a forking look if you have a duece and deduce what will happen if the bottom drivers side torque rod fails when you're bouncing around and drives the leaf spring forward while your axle is flopping around.

GOOD LUCK with that when you you are behind a little car.

Look, GET OFF IT. If your going to act this way why dont you take your truck and leave. Go over to m35a3.net and play in their play ground. You are making it very appearent that you are not trying at all to fit in here. You've argued with every person in this thread that has pointed out that it is not a design flaw. With proper maint. and inspections you would have caught it before it came off.

Everyone else here is trying to be subtle and not be an a$$ to you. I won't dance around it, all your doing is making your self luck dumber and dumber with each new thread and each post. Learn whats being taught to you here or go away.

 

[plym49]

I have been inspecting the torque rods on my Deuce weekly. I see no cracks in the rubber, nor signs of separation between the rubber and the sleeve. They also have no play with a pry bar test. My question is if the torque arms pass this inspection, are they probably OK, or do they sometimes fail in spite of passing these checks? (No sign of fork lift damage BTW - obviously the rods are not designed to take a shot from the side.)

Second question, I like the idea of drilling and tapping for a safety plate, but I wonder if the mass and inertia of the axle, etc. will not just bend the plate or snap the bolt. Perhaps welding a 'soft' retainer like a bolt or piece of rebar would be more likely to absorb the shock associated with keeping a failed torque rod on better than the bolt/plate?

 

[1 Patriot-of-many]

But it is a design fall. Every other truck has a two point system for the leaf spring, the M35 has a reversed spring system which has no attachment points except the middle allowing the axle to pivot with the failure of one single bolt.

Sorry you and the other 3 or 4 don't like me, but that's the fact.
It's a poor design when a single bolt or piece of rubber can cause total brake failure. The design at best would be served if a piece of steel was welded over the brake line in front of the axle to prevent it.

 

[1 Patriot-of-many]

Did you inspect the torque rods prior to driving it home ?

Do you even know what happened?

 

[Heath_h49008]

The lateral force isn't that high, it's mostly rotation and push-pull against the center pin. As cheaper/faster safety you could just weld a bar over the center that extends a couple inches past the rubber and prevented the loop from slipping off the shaft.

An hour at most to cut up some rebar and weld it in place. Cheap insurance.

 

[porkysplace]

I guess you should sue the government and AM General .
There are just some people that should not own MV's .

 

[porkysplace]

Do you even know what happened?

Yes but I don't think you know what happen your to closed minded to care.

Did you inspect anything prior to driving it home , your just lucky it happened at your house and not on the highway.

 

[Derrickl112]

How about you spend less time complaining to us about the"flawed design" , and spend more time redesigning a whole new rear suspension? let us know what you come up with...and post plenty of pics!



And if you hate the design so much why did you even buy an MV?

 

[KsM715]

None of these trucks were lifted or posititoned. They were all driven to the lot. All except one were driven OFF the lot also with no problems.

GL moves trucks around their lots all the time with forklifts whether they run or not. Its easier for the guy driving the forklift to just move trucks with that rather than get down and start and drive every truck.

But it is a design fall. Every other truck has a two point system for the leaf spring, the M35 has a reversed spring system which has no attachment points except the middle allowing the axle to pivot with the failure of one single bolt.

Sorry you and the other 3 or 4 don't like me, but that's the fact.
It's a poor design when a single bolt or piece of rubber can cause total brake failure. The design at best would be served if a piece of steel was welded over the brake line in front of the axle to prevent it.

Are you an engineer? How many people have to explain it to you that if it were a "flaw" they would have caught it 45 years ago. How is it so difficult to get that thru your thick skull?

I tried to stick up for you in another thread. Guess I need to go retract that statement. Never mind, that thread got deleted. Wonder why?


Edit: By-the-way, your steering is connected by "1" bolt in a single sheer set up. Better not drive that poorly designed truck around on the street where you might put someone elses life in danger when that bolt breaks.

 

[plym49]

But it is a design fall. Every other truck has a two point system for the leaf spring, the M35 has a reversed spring system which has no attachment points except the middle allowing the axle to pivot with the failure of one single bolt.

Sorry you and the other 3 or 4 don't like me, but that's the fact.
It's a poor design when a single bolt or piece of rubber can cause total brake failure. The design at best would be served if a piece of steel was welded over the brake line in front of the axle to prevent it.

Go to the various off-road forums and you will see all sorts of suspensions that have been built to maximize articulation. I daresay that the Deuce suspension articulates pretty good and probably a lot better than most homebuilt setups. With those stiff, massive springs, there is no way it could articulate like that if the springs were attached conventionally.

The Deuce suspension design is not flawed, it is elegant. The torque rods should never just pop off. Perhaps yours had already walked halfway off before you got gophering. I am not asking that to incite or criticize, it is only a logical question. The torque rods normally see tension and compression along the axis of the arm. That kind of keeps them in place, if they are not worn. If the rubber is good they should be able to handle the incidental yaw from extreme articulation, or perhaps vibrating off after a period of time.

This and other threads have got me wondering about the possibility of someday getting into trouble with these arms, if a bushing should fail. Worrying is what engineers do. Nothing wrong with that. At the same time, going through what are undoubtedly similar thought processes to what you have done, I differ with your conclusion that the design is flawed. I think it is brilliant: simple, easy to repair, lightweight and provides unbelievable articulation. My opinion; you and everyone else is of course welcome to their own.

 

[glcaines]

The M35 series of truck are of excellent design and have served the military well. Those of us that have served in the military and driven the M35 or seen the M35 operate in extreme conditions with minimal problems know the truth. I'm done with this thread - you need to get a life.

 

[DUG]

None of these trucks were lifted or posititoned. They were all driven to the lot. All except one were driven OFF the lot also with no problems.

And you KNOW this because your cousin Tony works at that GL lot or you have a video feed from that lot or someone from GL told you that?

GL moves trucks with forklifts all the time. Faster than jumping, push starting, etc, etc and actually driving them to the next spot.

The pics you posted show what appears to be forklift damage.

 

[Welder Sam]

Wow! I finally reached the end! I wanted to stop many posts ago but.... anyway..

For all of my automotive life, people have told me many times, and its the truth-----

WHEN YOU BUY USED VEHICLES, YOU'RE BUYING SOMEONE ELSES PROBLEMS. ITS ON YOU TO FIX IT, SELL IT, OR SCRAP IT.

Bottom line here is this-- you bought a used vehicle. You have had troubles. So now, You fix it, sell it, or scrap it but for heavens sake, please, do shutup.

The very design that youre bit**ing about has carried my a** and millions more over its life span. I lived and so did they. If youre not going to maintain it, PARK IT. If you want a rebuilt rig, Memphis Equipment would be more than willing to sell you one or 100. Is that to say you wont have similar probs? NOOOO! Everything has failures.

Thank you very much for your time folks

 

[1 Patriot-of-many]

How about you spend less time complaining to us about the"flawed design" , and spend more time redesigning a whole new rear suspension? let us know what you come up with...and post plenty of pics!



And if you hate the design so much why did you even buy an MV?

Thought I did somewhere?
I would start with a cage in front of the brake line should a a single torque bar fail. To take the impact of a leaf spring swinging forward under all known torque. Just look at the area and imagine it happening to you on the road. You can post all you want about did you inspect... You cannot prevent that.

2nd would probably mount the ends of the leaf springs to the axle for starters in some way that ensures they can't swing out of the shackles for starters
Didn't say I hate it. Geez you guys take a pointing out of failure of engineering personal.

This isn't GOD, it's a truck. Man designed it. Get a grip people.

 

[Recovry4x4]

WOW good deal. I can only hope or not you guys don't have the same failure when your brake line is crushed at the wrong time. GEEZus. Take a forking look if you have a duece and deduce what will happen if the bottom drivers side torque rod fails when you're bouncing around and drives the leaf spring forward while your axle is flopping around.

GOOD LUCK with that when you you are behind a little car.

Let me better understand this. You stated that your dogbone failed and drove the leafspring forward? DId it somehow come loose from the trunion pivot or did the entire truntion get ripped from the frame? I do see the point you are trying to make but calling a worn or defective part a design flaw doesn't sit right. Are steel brake lines a design flaw? They can rust and rupture yielding you with no brakes.

 

[doghead]

Look, GET OFF IT. If your going to act this way why dont you take your truck and leave. Go over to m35a3.net and play in their play ground. You are making it very appearent that you are not trying at all to fit in here. You've argued with every person in this thread that has pointed out that it is not a design flaw. With proper maint. and inspections you would have caught it before it came off.

Everyone else here is trying to be subtle and not be an a$$ to you. I won't dance around it, all your doing is making your self luck dumber and dumber with each new thread and each post. Learn whats being taught to you here or go away.

My thoughts exactly. Take a week off and come back if you think you can control your argumentative attitude and want to discuss things rationally. We don't need it here.